On June 1st the 53rd Venice Biennale opened to the public, welcoming over 20,000 visitors in the opening week. Representing Britain in the British Pavilion is filmmaker Steve McQueen, whose new work Giardini has already enjoyed widespread critical acclaim. This specially commissioned 30 minute film is an evocative exploration of the Biennale gardens during the winter, when the glamour of the art festival has faded and more everyday sights and sounds resound discordantly with the natural world.
High resolution images of Steve McQueen's Giardini are available here
The Guardian’s Charlotte Higgins reviews Giardini
The exhibition will continue until 22 November - please be aware that we can only accommodate 60 people at a time, so timed entry at 40 minute intervals will apply.
Born in London in 1969, McQueen works predominantly in film and video, and is one of the most influential artists of his generation. He has won a number of awards and accolades, including the Turner Prize in 1999 and an OBE in 2002. As Official War Artist to Iraq, commissioned by the Imperial War Museum in 2003, McQueen generated international media attention with one of his rare non-film works Queen and Country. His first feature film Hunger, produced by Channel 4/Film 4, won both the Camera d’Or and an International Film Critics Federation Prize at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.
Steve McQueen was chosen as this year's representative by an advisory committee of leading arts professionals - if you want to find out more about our Venice Biennale selection process please click here.
Steve McQueen: Giardini
British Pavilion, Giardini di Castello 30122 Vaporetto: Giardini
7 June – 22 November 2009
Opening hours: 10am – 6pm Tuesdays to Sundays. Closed Mondays. Timed entry will apply for the British Pavilion, especially during busy periods.
UK at the Venice Biennale
Since the First International Exhibition of Art in 1895 over a thousand artists have represented Britain at the Venice Biennale - in 1912, for example, one hundred and fifty British artists exhibited together in a group show. The British Council has been responsible for the British presentation at the Venice Biennale since 1938, commissioning artists including Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Bridget Riley, Anish Kapoor, Mark Wallinger, Rachel Whiteread, Gilbert & George, and most recently Tracey Emin in 2007.
Visit our UK at the Venice Biennale website to explore the history of the British Pavilion from 1895 to the present day. You can also watch an interview with Steve McQueen about his new work, Giardini.
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